With an entrance flanked by a Little Free Art Gallery and a colorful “LOVE” sign, Arts Herndon brings visible energy to a block of downtown Herndon otherwise dominated by an asphalt parking lot.
After this month, however, there will only be the parking lot and an empty concrete building, even though the development project that necessitated a temporary displacement of the art groups on the property has ground to a halt.
Fairfax County high school students may soon have to keep their phones off and out of sight for the entire school day, not just during class.
This week, school staff recommended the School Board adopt a stricter “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban, replacing the current policy of allowing phone use during passing periods and lunch.
Seven people were taken to a hospital as a result of a house fire that occurred Friday afternoon (March 7) in the Crosspointe area near Lorton.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) dispatched units around 2 p.m. to a single-family home in the 8300 block of Ivy Green Road after getting calls for a fire in the attached garage.
State health officials have been alerted to a confirmed case of measles in a recent traveler at Dulles International Airport.
A Maryland resident returning to the D.C. area earlier this month may have exposed other travelers to the highly contagious, airborne illness, local health departments said over the weekend.
State Department Worker Charged in Espionage Case — “A U.S. Department of State employee from Alexandria is facing federal charges for allegedly participating in a criminal conspiracy to gather, transmit, or lose national defense information.” The 42-year-old man is accused of sharing classified information with people he met online “in exchange for payments.” [ALXnow]
Metro Axes Diversity and Sustainability Offices — “Metro is eliminating its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as the transit system looks to secure federal funding from the Trump administration … Metro’s Office of Sustainability will also be eliminated. Department head Rachel Healy will assume a new role as the director of Energy and Environment.” [WTOP]
GW Parkway Ramp to Close for Tree Clearing — “On Tuesday, March 11, the ramp from George Washington Memorial Parkway to northbound I-495 will be closed between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The ramp closure will allow crews to conduct tree clearing as part of the I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project.” [VDOT]
GMU Women’s Basketball Team Makes NCAA Tournament — “The George Mason women’s basketball team is going to the NCAA tournament for the first time in the school’s history after beating St. Joseph’s 73-58 Sunday to claim the Atlantic-10 Conference tournament title. The Patriots’ program has existed for 51 years and this is the team’s first-ever appearance in the upcoming NCAA tournament.” [WTOP]
Man Sentenced to Jail for Grocery Store Thefts — “A 33-year-old D.C. man was sentenced last month to eight months in prison for committing a string of petit larcenies at grocery stores in Alexandria and Fairfax County.The man was arrested on January 28 for four outstanding warrants in Alexandria [and] nine outstanding warrants in Fairfax County.” [ALXnow]
Park Authority Launches Needs Study — “The Fairfax County Park Authority is launching the Parks Count! 2026 Parks Needs Assessment to evaluate park and recreation needs across the county. We want to hear from you! Your feedback will help guide improvements to amenities, facilities and programs for the next five years.” [FCPA]
Centreville Restaurant Still a Draw After a Decade — “At a restaurant that’s already successful, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. But introducing a cheese wheel, well, that couldn’t hurt. That’s what Antonino Di Nicola, executive chef and partner at Ciao Osteria, was thinking at the start of 2020 when he began serving fettuccine with lobster out of a wheel of Parmesan.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Photo Show Coming to Vienna — “Amateur photographers from across the region are invited to put their talent and photography skills on full display in the 2025 Vienna Photo Show. The show and contest are set to take place Saturday and Sunday, March 15-16, at the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St., SE, Vienna, Virginia.” [Town of Vienna]
It’s Monday — Expect a sunny day with a high temperature around 65 accompanied by a light southwest breeze. As the night progresses, it will be mostly clear with temperatures dropping to around 40, along with mild and fluctuating winds. [NWS]
Former Army soldier Stephan Smerk was given the maximum sentence — 70 years in prison — today (Friday) for the murder of West Springfield woman Robin Lawrence in 1994.
Smerk, 53, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Oct. 4 for stabbing and killing Lawrence in her home in an act of random violence.
Metro leaders are taking steps that could permit the transit agency to ban people from its property if they commit crimes or otherwise demonstrate what is deemed improper behavior.
The measure was first discussed publicly at a Jan. 30 meeting of the Metro Board of Directors’ safety and operations committee. An agency spokesman told FFXnow on Monday (March 3) that the discussion “remains ongoing.”
A man from Bailey’s Crossroads has been convicted of hate crimes for plotting a potential mass shooting at a church in Prince William County.
Following a four-day trial, a federal jury in Alexandria found Rui Jiang guilty yesterday (Thursday) of attempting to obstruct congregants of Park Valley Church in Haymarket from exercising their religious beliefs, using a firearm in connection to a violent crime, and sending online threats.
Fairfax County has purchased land in the Dogue Creek watershed near Fort Belvoir for $2.8 million in a bid to prevent future development, remove an “eyesore” and restore the creek.
In a release, Fairfax County said the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services purchased three parcels of land, around 7.9 acres in total.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors agreed on Tuesday (March 4) to expedite the planning and zoning process for construction of a new Fire Station #29 at 8300 Jones Branch Drive in Tysons.
Acting unanimously, supervisors directed county staff to concurrently process a site plan and building plans for the facility while a proffer condition amendment is also being processed.
